Iran Pilgrims to participate in this year's Hajj: Saudi Arabia

The announcement Friday signals a softening of rhetoric between the two enemies only a year after Tehran questioned the royal kingdom's ability to host a safe trip for pilgrims.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced that it has completed with the Iranian Organization of Hajj and Visit all the necessary arrangements for Iranians to attend the 1438 Hajj season, according to the approved procedures with various Islamic countries.

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Previous year was the first time in almost three decades Iranian pilgrims did not attend.

The development is the second successful experience after Tehran and Riyadh Saudi Arabia and Iran, coupled with other OPEC members, signed on to a deal to cut oil production.

But the Saudi Hajj ministry said that the kingdom, the birthplace of Islam, welcomes "all pilgrims from all the different nationalities and backgrounds".

Last year, China also offered support for Yemen's government, which is backed by a Saudi-led Arabian Gulf coalition in a war against the Iranian proxies the Houthi movement that controls large parts of the country, despite suffering serious setbacks during the conflict.

Saudi Arabia & China sign trade agreements worth billions of dollarsChina and Saudi Arabia signed agreements potentially worth tens of billions of dollars on Thursday, Beijing said, as President Xi Jinping welcomed Saudi King Salman on a state visit.

Under the pillars of Islam, able-bodied Muslims must travel for the hajj at least once in their lives if they can afford to.

Already strained over a list of differences, relations between the two countries took a nosedive after the 2015 hajj, when a human crush killed more than 2,400 pilgrims, including more than 464 Iranians in Mina.